The Final Game
by Luana Starlight
Summary: We dance through the ages. We walk through time.' HighlanderxLotR. How do you defeat a past that doesn't want to leave you alone, especially when you are trying to understand a world that is similar to your old life?
1. You Want My Name?

We walk through the ages. We dance through time. Most of us were born commoners but some of us were born high. But we all have one thing in common. We cannot die.

_I am immortal,_

_I have inside me blood of kings, _

_I have no rival,_

_No man can be my equal, _

_Take me to the future of you all_.

A trench coat flapped weakly in the wind. She had been walking for days, trying to find a city. There had to be something around here. She had seen the ruins of ancient cities; cities that had once looked great. A gust of wind made her coat whip behind her, the only sound in this barren land.

A sound caught her attention. She turned to look back and saw a group of men riding towards her. She stayed where she was, not wanting to be suspicious (as if a woman alone wasn't suspicious enough). It was a small group, no more than fifteen or twenty, who rode towards her. Her quick and careful eye picked out the man who looked to be in charge of this group. His helmet was different from the rest as it had a plume of white hair on it. His spear was also different, but just a little.

The men rode up around her and stopped.

"Who are you, woman? Why are you here alone?" the man she had thought was the leader asked.

"I am alone because my two traveling companions have disappeared. I have been alone for four days now. Is there a city nearby that I might hope to find some word of my missing companions?"

The man dismounted. He strode up to her and looked down his nose at her. He was obviously highborn. Not that she cared as she was born from a noble family herself.

"The only city is the capital city and you would not be allowed in without being arrested as a spy."

"A spy?" she said, her anger rising.

"Yes. You are out here alone and without any man protecting you. Your clothes obviously mark you as an outsider and you have still not given me a name."

"You want a name. Fine. I am called Guin."

"What is the name of the land of your birth? Are you from Gondor? Or maybe, you are from Harad?"

"I am from neither place. I was born in England and raised in the highlands of Scotland."

"I have never heard of such places," the man said, turning to face one of his companions.

Guin couldn't hear what was said but the next thing she knew, the man was on his horse and she was being picked up from behind and thrown across the saddle of another horse.

"We will continue home."

Guin didn't struggle from her uncomfortable position but she really didn't care. All she needed to know right now was, where was their 'home'?


	2. Why Do I Have A Bad Feeling?

AN: Didn't put this in the first chapter. Sorry. Anyways, the only characters that I own are the ones you don't recognize as parts of the series of 'Highlander' or as people in 'LotR'. Also, before anyones decides to chew me out, I purposely screwed with the Authorian legend. Enjoy!

Two men struggled to sit up. One had blood running down his chiseled face while the other was trying to get his black hair out of his face. Both had their hands tied behind their backs so it wasn't an easy task. Finally, they both managed to sit up and look around. The first thing they noticed was that they were in a cave. The sound of a waterfall could be heard slightly. Two men were sitting off to the side, watching them with cold eyes.

"Connor," one finally said.

"Yes, Duncan," the other said, trying to rid his mouth of the taste of his blood.

"Do you think Guin is alright?"

"I don't know. We can ask."

Duncan, black hair finally out of his face, looked over to the two men and said, "Excuse me."

The two men looked at each other before one finally stood up and left. The other looked at the two bound men.

"Yes?" he finally said.

"How is our companion? The woman?"

"There was no woman with you," he said simply.

"Are you sure? There were three of us together," Duncan persisted.

A new voice spoke up, "No, there were only you two. If there was a third, the orcs got her."

Through the doorway stepped a man with reddish-blond hair. His figure was slight but he carried himself like a nobleman. He walked over and knelt down so that he was eyelevel with the two men.

"May I ask your names?"

"I am Connor MacLeod of the clan MacLeod and this is Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod."

"Kinsmen?"

"You could say that."

"What were you doing in the forests of Ithilien?"

"Ithilien?" Connor asked.

"Yes. Are you from anywhere near here? Perhaps Harad?"

"I do not know this 'Harad' place. We are from New York City."

The man had a confused look on his face as he tried out the two new words, "New...York? I have never heard of such a place. Where is it located?"

Duncan looked at Connor and said, "If he has never heard of it, then we will never find it. I doubt we'll be finding the highlands either."

A man came running in then, "Captain Faramir. The Haradrim have been spotted in the south. A large force is marching northwards, towards Osgiliath."

The man, Faramir, stood and turned, "Watch them. Untie their hands to allow them to eat and drink, but do not allow them to get away."

Faramir strode out.

"Connor," Duncan started.

"Yes, Duncan?"

"Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling about this?"


	3. A Hated Symbol

They had traveled over most of the plains in less than several hours. Guin had, much to her comfort, been moved to a more comfortable position on the horse. Thankfully, none of these men had insisted that they search her for hidden weapons. They would have found several if they had looked but so far, it wasn't a concern for them. The whole time they had been riding, Guin had been keeping her eyes open for any sign of her companions. A small part of her knew they were alive. Where they were was a different story. The leader, Eomer, had stayed at the front and had insisted that the rider who had her stay as close to the front. This allowed Guin to see what was ahead. Unfortunately, what she saw was hitting too close to home.

"Halt," Eomer commanded.

The company halted as Eomer and two men rode forwards. Guin looked around the rider's head and saw what they were riding towards. Two swords were stuck in the ground. There was no blood on the ground and no bodies. As she looked closer, she gasped. Before the rider could react, Guin was off the horse and running towards the swords.

"Girl, halt," came the command but she ignored it.

"No. Connor! Duncan!" she practically screamed into the sky as she saw what she feared.

The two swords were katanas. Both had dragon-shaped hilts and were in excellent condition, especially for being hundreds of years old. What really had Guin's attention was the necklace draped around both hilts, signifying that the owners were together, whether in life or death. The necklace was also very similar to what Guin had worn once. She still had it though she did not wish to wear it anymore.

Guin knelt in front of the two swords and put her head down onto the ground. She heard someone get off his horse and start coming towards her. She paid him no attention.

"Girl."

No answer.

"Guin. We will take them with us, if that is what you want."

She still did not respond. She brought her head up and reached for the necklace, once a symbol that had meant her death. She stood up, clutching the necklace in her sword hand and gripped it tight. She felt the edges cut into her skin, drawing blood. Eomer looked at her hand in surprise as the blood came out of her clenched fingers.

"Guin," he asked, a little uncertain.

"Please bring them. I will not leave them here for someone to take."

Eomer motioned for one of his men to come and take the swords. He turned back and watched Guin as she finally loosened her grip on the necklace, opening her hand to reveal her bloodstained palm. She had crushed the necklace into a lump, which was no easy feat as the necklace had been made of light steel.

"I will hunt him down and personally take his head. I have lost too much to allow him to take those that I care for," Eomer heard her say to no one in particular.

"My lord, we are ready," one of his men called out.

"Guin, we are leaving."

Guin turned to face the group. Her face had undergone a transformation. No longer was it open. It was like all emotions had been drained from her. Her face was now like the rocks that littered the plains around them.

"I am coming."


	4. What Is She Like?

Duncan had fallen asleep and was snoring lightly from the back of the cavern. Connor had been allowed to get up and move, and now he stood staring out into the darkening sky, wondering if Guin was alright. The first thing that Connor was worried about was that his and Duncan's swords were missing. None of the Rangers had seen them when they had brought them here and they were not in their normal places in the coats of the men. Someone had taken them and Connor feared that if Guin found them, she might think them dead.

"Who would go to such troubles to do this to us?" Connor wondered out loud.

"That is something I would like to know," a voice interrupted his musings.

Connor turned to see Faramir coming towards him. The man looked worse for wear but he still walked like he had never seen a battle that day. Connor turned back towards the opening.

"Do you like the view?"

"Not really. It reminds me of too many things that I wish to forget."

"Things like what?" Faramir asked, trying to find out a little more about this man.

Connor sighed a little before saying, "Like the window that I had to watch out of when a woman I swore to protect was sentenced to die by burning. Like the cave that I was forced to get out of when one of my teachers battled three other people who came after me. There is more but a lot of it you wouldn't understand.

"You were forced to watch a woman burn?" Faramir asked in disbelief.

"Aye. Though, I did manage to get her off the stake before the fire claimed her life. It was the arrow thirty seconds later that claimed her mortal life."

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to draw up such painful memories."

"I have lived with such memories all my life. It is common for me to explain them to others."

They stood there in silence. Both were strangers to the other but they felt comfortable in each other's presence. Finally, Faramir broke the silence.

"What does this woman look like? The one you were asking about?"

"She is tall, proud, and a little on the annoying side when she puts her mind to it. She is an excellent swordsman though she prefers fighting hand-to-hand. Her hair is dark brown while her eyes glint like steel."

"You make her seem like that is common for women. Do all women fight where you come from?"

"At my home, the women would fight if the enemy ever came into the village. She was brought up in a home where there were enough men to fight. When I found her, she had never lifted a sword. I had to teach her how to fight with a sword. Nowadays, there are more women who fight, but that is still not something that is common place."

"Neither is Guin common," a new voice said.

Both turned to watch Duncan coming towards them.

"Guin? Is that her name?" Faramir asked.

"Aye, that is her name. It is shorter than her birth name but she prefers it that way," Connor said.


	5. Still A Prisoner

Eomer strode into his uncle's throne room, Guin not too far behind. Several of the riders had also accompanied them but they had dropped off at the door. Guin noted immediately that the air of the throne room seemed thick and it threatened to suffocate her. She looked up at the dais and saw one throne with a sickly, old man sitting on it. On a stool to his right was a man dressed all in black with greasy hair and no eyebrows. He had a hunched look and, though he looked nothing like him, she immediately thought of Mordred, her husband's bastard child. Eomer strode up to the very edge of the stairs, stopped, saluted, and began to tell his king of the most recent mission.

Guin only half-listened as she kept most of her attention on the snake-looking person sitting next to the king. He was also watching her, but with a hunger in his eyes that she had seen all too often. She did not care for him but she knew that wouldn't stop him. Most men who looked at her with that look had to be taught a painful lesson before they would leave her alone. A shiver ran down her spine; she really didn't want to be near him.

"...and that was where we found this girl," Eomer finished.

Guin turned her attention back to the king who hadn't at all during the conversation.

"Lord Eomer, what is her name?" the man beside the throne asked.

"My name is Guin. And if you have any questions, you can ask me," Guin said, moving forward a little.

She heard a gasp go around the room, and she knew it was for her boldness. The man in black stood up and started walking down towards her. Eomer shifted a little, making Guin think that he wanted to put himself between the man and her.

"Do you know that it is forbidden for a woman to speak unless spoken to?" the man asked, trying to get right in her face.

Guin looked down, a small smile on her face. This man was trying to intimidate her, a woman who had been in many courts as both a noble and a royal.

"I know that if you are living in the ancient days, you would think of a woman as nothing more than a decoration. And I can assure you that I have been a decoration in my time. I did not like it then and I refuse to be one now. I can speak for myself whether you like it or not."

The man did nothing more than gape like a fish for a few seconds before he turned and went back up the steps. Eomer looked like he was trying to hide a smile and Guin just stood there, standing like she would face down any man who would tell her otherwise. The man said nothing else except to dismiss the court.

"My lady, let me show you to your room," a woman said coming up to her.

"I do not need one. I am leaving," Guin said, trying to be polite.

"If you think you are leaving right now, you are fooling yourself," Eomer spoke up.

Guin looked at him, not allowing him to see her surprise. She watched him as he walked over to her. He stopped right in front of her and looked down at her again. To her mind, it was getting tiring.

"And why am I not allowed to leave? I must find my companions."

"You are still our prisoner. Accept it," Eomer said before moving off.


	6. Never Again

AN: Sorry you haven't heard from me in a long time. I had some issues with one computer and then the new computer I got didn't have Word so I decided to wait until I got word loaded onto my new computer so I wouldn't have to reformat all my stories. Anyways, here is the newest chapter for anyone who is interested.

Connor and Duncan sat in the cave, awaiting the return of Faramir. He and several others had gone off to scout, leaving few men in the cave. Several times, Duncan had suggested trying to sneak out and every single time Connor had said no.

"But Connor."

"No, Duncan. We cannot," Connor said once again, "Besides, we don't know where we are."

Duncan sighed and leaned back against the wall of the cave. He was getting worried. Guin had disappeared and no one had seen hide or hair of her. He didn't want to just abandon her out in the wild but what could he do right now. Of course, Faramir wasn't helping matters by keeping them here.

"Connor MacLeod," a young man said, coming into the room.

"That is me," Connor said, standing up.

"Please follow me. Captain Faramir wants to see you."

"Duncan, I'll be back," Connor said, following behind the young ranger.

The ranger led Connor to a small room, small but comfortable. It was apparently Faramir's private room, as it had several small comforts. Faramir sat on some furs beside a small fire. He had a bandage around his torso but he didn't seem to be in much pain. Faramir looked up when Connor walked into the room.

"Connor, please sit," he said, gesturing towards a small pile of furs.

Connor moved and sat, immediately getting comfortable. He sat in silence, watching Faramir quietly ink some spots on a map. Once that was done, Faramir set the inkpot down.

"Connor, I have heard your companion, Duncan, expressing his displeasure about staying here."

"Aye, he has really never been one to sit and wait while someone he cares about might be in danger."

"I can understand how he feels. But, the real reason I called you here is not to discuss how much longer you must wait. I really wanted to know if you could identify this."

So saying, he pulled out of a discarded shirt a small package. It was a small, cloth-wrapped item. He held it out to Connor who took it without asking a question. Connor slowly unwrapped it, his questions answered in one shocking instant. The minute he saw what it was in the cloth, he dropped it like he had been burned.

"What is the matter?" Faramir asked, worried by Connor's face.

"Where...where did you find this?" Connor asked.

"On one of the men we took down today. He was dressed differently, almost like you and your companion. We put an arrow through his heart and this flew off his neck."

"You put an arrow through his heart?"

"Yes. Why? Did we not do something?" Faramir asked, worry beginning to gnaw at his gut.

"No. You did your best. It is just..." Connor trailed off.

"Just what?"

"I had just hoped to never see this again."


	7. Grima and Spies

The sun had set and everything was quiet. Guin had finished pacing the inside of her room, trying to figure out how she was going to get out so she could find her missing companions. Nothing was coming to mind and it was her mind that was giving her problems. Every time she started to think about Duncan and Connor, her mind went back to the necklace.

That damn necklace. It was a horrifying reminder of her past. It had been hung around her neck as she was being tied to the stake by that bastard son, Mordred. It was Connor who had saved her from that fate. And both she and Connor knew what the necklace meant. HE was getting too close. She had to find her friends and she had to get away. Not even these stubborn men were going to keep her here.

A knock sounded on her door. She turned and watched as the man that had been sitting beside the king walked in.

"What do you want?" she said, trying to keep the disgust out of her voice.

"You will give me the respect I deserve," the man said. "I am the king's right-hand man."

"You don't even look like you belong here. And I ask again, what do you want?"

The man did nothing except smile. She knew why he was here.

"GET OUT!"

"You cannot order me, woman. The only person I receive my orders from are the king."

"I do not care. You lay ONE hand on me and you will find yourself short that hand."

"You dare to make threats to Grima Wormtongue," he said, looking shocked.

"No. It isn't a threat. That is a promise. I have no qualms with decapitating you. I have done it to plenty of people who think they can take me against my will."

Grima moved to the door, his pale face getting paler. "You will regret this, girl. Mark my words."

He shut the door behind him and she sat down on the bed, putting her head into her hands. She had to get out of there.

* * *

A man smiled. He had listened to the entire conversation between the woman and Grima. It had been him who had sent Grima in there. He wanted to see how she would react. It had been hundreds of years and she had gotten bolder. The last time he had seen her, she hadn't been able to wield a sword. She would have willingly gone to bed with any man if her husband had ordered her, not that he ever had. This would be quite interesting.


End file.
